The GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top stories concerning ancestral research in Britain, Ireland, and their diasporas, from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit The GENES Blog if you do so. To contact me please email chrismpaton @ outlook.com.

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Monday, 19 March 2012

Family History Monthly ceases publication

Family History Monthly (www.familyhistorymonthly.com), produced by Diamond Publishing on behalf of the Metropolis Group, has ceased publication with the April 2012 issue (207).

A letter has been sent to all subscribers with the last issue stating the following:

We are very sorry to let you know that this is the final issue of Family History Monthly magazine as it is ceasing publication. I know this will be disappointing news and we would like to thank you for your support to the magazine.

The letter then goes on to discuss how the subscribers list for the magazine has been purchased by Who Do You Think You Are magazine (as first suggested by reader Rosemary Morgan on Feb 27th in a comment on this post), and so for uncompleted subscriptions this magazine will now be sent out instead of Family History Monthly.

As a monthly contributor to the magazine I was first informed a few weeks back before Who Do You Think You Are? Live, where it was one of the hot topics of discussion with many fellow contributors, but following the show the editorial team had been extremely vague about whether it was ending or not - first it was, then it possibly wasn't etc, and hence why I have not commented further on it until now. It's sad to see it go, the fifth UK based genealogy magazine in the last two years or so to do so, following on from the demise of Ancestors, Practical Family History, Discover my Past England and Discover my Past Scotland.

13 comments:

There were too many magazines and they are quite pricey, some nearly a fiver each. You could easily spend £30 a month buying them all. Shame though as each has/had something to contribute. Hope all the employees find new jobs etc. :-(

I think it's quite difficult to hit the right formula. When I started in genealogy, I tried a couple of the mags that advertised themselves as "for beginners" but found little in them to satisfy. Sorry, but for me personally, family histories of the authors' relatives leave me cold unless they have something in that could transfer to mine - either techniques or social / military / industrial history that might apply to my lot. The best mag for a long time (for me) was Ancestors as it had the sort of expertise in social / military etc. history that simply wasn't found elsewhere. (Where else could I find the Cardwell military reforms outside fairly specialist books with prices to match?) But the writing went up on the wall for me when they started doing "basics of family history" type articles... Go and buy a book for goodness sake!

I have to say I fought shy of WDYTYA as a mag for ages - then I actually read some and they do tend to have a good portion of social etc articles.

Of course - every reader is different and anyone following my recommendations would have a guaranteed audience of just 1!

Bear in mind that readers needs change also though! It's a fine balance that all the mags to have to achieve, catering for readers who are getting more experienced the more they research, as well as the newbies getting started for the first time. For magazines dealing with the history of absolutely everything, I think they're not doing a bad job!

I was somewhat surprised to only learn today that the magazine has ceased publication.

I find it rather strange that as an advertiser I was not informed of this decision and especially so seeing that the silence is deafening about what is happening with the balance remaining from the pre-paid advertising from last year.

Not sure who you should speak to about that Keith - suspect it's still Diamond Publishing. I would imagine WDYTYA magazine only purchased the subscribers list.

The mag's demise was quite sudden. I was informed just before WDYTYA Live, as were other contributors, and there was a lot of discussion at the event about it. I blogged about it but was then asked to remove it on the basis that it was still possible it could be saved - though it turned out they didn't want subscribers knowing until after the last issue had been printed. It was a very poor end to what was a great title. If the advertisers have yet to be told, I wouldn't be surprised, but hopefully you can get a refund soon.

I've been in touch with Diamond and refunding for any advertising is in hand, but their reason for not informing advertisers seems rather strange, and I quote:

"contractually obliged not to contact advertisers as a condition of the sale to the owners of WDYTYA magazine to give them time to contact subscribers to offer their services as they paid us take on the subscription liability."

To be honest Diamond were more concerned with trying to sell me more advertising space in their new acquisition "Best of British."

Back to the drawing board for me, finding another magazine to compare - FHM has been my favourite of the bunch for a long time. Very best wishes for the future to all involved in producing the magazine.Hilary Drysdale

The first I heard about the closure of Family History Monthly was when I read a reference to "ex editor Jen Newby" in another family history magazine. I still thought it was being published. Most magazines advise their readership that it will be the last issue, etc. A shame to see it go and I can't think of any reason for not letting their loyal readership know. I used to buy every issue and thought it was a very good publication, as was Practical Family History (my favourite of all the mags).

I only found out about its demise this week, when doing my (occasional!) filing, and noted nothing after the April issue. I have just taken a look through itn again, and found no mention of it folding, but a clue was that there was no page advising what was to be in the next issue.A great pity,as I read several others and it was my favourite FH mag by some way.

I have only found out of the demise of FHM this past few months.Oct 2013] It was my favourite magazine for so many years. I miss it. I read my copies from my local library, and they did not seem to know anything about it finishing either.........joani